15-16-010 Sprinkler systems.

   Automatic sprinkler systems complying with the requirements of Article II of this chapter shall be installed where required by the provisions of Sections 15-16-020 to 15-16-080.

(Prior code §  64-1)

15-16-020 General requirements.

   Automatic sprinkler systems shall be installed throughout every building having a floor area exceeding the maximum areas established in Section 13-48-050 of this Code.

(Prior code §  64-2)

15-16-030 Special requirements.

   Automatic sprinkler systems shall be provided in the following buildings and areas:

   (a)   Shops and Storerooms. All rooms and spaces used as paint shops, wastepaper baling or storage, and other storage uses having a similar degree of combustibility, except in the following cases:

      1.   When such room or space is located in a single-family or two-family dwelling,

      2.   When such room or space does not exceed 1,000 square feet in area and is located in a one- story building;

   (b)   Basements. Basement space used for storage of combustible material, except rooms or spaces having an area not exceeding 2,500 square feet and enclosed with partitions providing fire resistance of not less than two hours;

   (c)   Stage Blocks. Every part of Type I stage block, including locations below each fly gallery, beneath the stage ceiling or roof, and above the proscenium opening and including also all workshops, storage rooms, property rooms and dressing rooms;

   (d)   Garages.

      1.   Any basement garage space having a capacity of more than three vehicles unless such garage is open to the atmosphere to a height of not less than 18 inches around 50 percent or more of its perimeter,

      2.   Garages having a storage capacity of 20 or more vehicles and located in buildings in which stories above such garage are designed or used for other occupancies,

      3.   All garages exceeding four stories in height,

      4.   Garages in buildings of institutional use;

   (e)   Basement spaces in any department store and all floors of department stores two stories or more in height;

   (f)   All buildings of Types II, IIIA and IIIB construction having unlimited areas as provided in Table 13-48-070 except buildings of low-hazard industrial or low-hazard storage occupancies;

   (g)   On or before January 1, 1956, in every existing or preordinance building used in whole or part as a men's cubicle hotel which does not comply with Section 13-64-020(a) of this Code;

   (h)   On or before December 31, 1963 in every existing, preordinance building and buildings hereafter erected, two stories or more in height, used in whole or in part, as Type I school, or used in whole as Type II school, and hospitals, infirmaries, nurseries, orphanages, sheltered-care homes, sanitoria and homes for the aged, as defined in Section 13-56-050 of this Code as Class B institutional units, and each of construction Type IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, IVA, IVB. Such installation shall include basement areas;

   (i)   In every building hereafter erected and used primarily as an exhibition area or in that portion of any building hereafter erected and used as an exhibition area;

   (j)   On or before December 31, 1970 in every existing building used primarily as an exhibition area or in that portion of any building used as an exhibition area;

   (k)   All buildings three stories or more in height, occupied as an open plan school. A story located below grade level shall be counted if used for other than building service purposes;

   (l)   On or before February 1, 1977 in every existing or preordinance building and buildings hereafter erected, used in whole or in part as a nursing home, as defined in Section 13-4-010. Such automatic sprinkler system shall be supervised;

   (m)   All intermediate care facilities for developmentally disabled – 15 or less persons;

   (n)   In every new and existing telephone exchange;

   (o)   In every new high rise building.

(Prior code § 64-3; Amend Coun. J. 12-21-84, p. 12140; Amend Coun. J. 11-2-94, p. 58476; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-12, p. 27485, § 183; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VII, § 17)

15-16-040 Hazardous use units.

   General. A standard system of automatic sprinklers, meeting the requirements of Article II of Chapter 15-16 of this Code shall be installed in every building or part of a building, hereafter designed, erected, altered, or converted for the purposes of the following occupancies:

   Asphalt tar, pitch, resin and paraffin heating rooms;

   Drying rooms for articles or materials which give off explosive or flammable vapors during the drying process whether or not a collection and disposal system is provided for such vapors;

   Fume or flammable compressed gas buildings of heavier timber or ordinary construction;

   Grinding or dust-producing rooms;

   Highly flammable material storage buildings and rooms; Highly toxic materials buildings and rooms;

   Japanning or enameling rooms;

   Nitrocellulose products building and rooms;

   Paint mixing or spraying rooms;

   Picker or shredder rooms;

   Rooms for storage or baling of wastepaper;

   Industrial properties with occupancies such as:

      Artificial flowers;

      Artificial leather;

      Carpet linings;

      Cotton batting;

      Cotton clothing;

      Cotton ragsorting;

      Cotton waste;

      Feather renovating or processing;

      Shoddy mills;

      Straw goods;

      Woodworking with application of flammable finishes which produce explosive or flammable vapors under normal room conditions;

and other such occupancies as shall be determined to be in fact of high hazard by the fire commissioner due to the inherent characteristics of the material involved and consistent with the occupancies definitely fixed as hazardous use units; provided, however, that if the nonhazardous areas of any building in which such an occupancy occurs, are separated from the hazardous use area by a fire wall, it shall be permissible to omit such sprinkler system from the nonhazardous areas; and provided further, that where required under other paragraphs of this section, every floor area above the lowest floor area in which certain hazardous use units occur, shall be equipped throughout with a standard system of automatic sprinklers; and provided also, that no sprinkler system shall be required in any vault used for the storage of files, records and other nonhazardous documents.

   Where Prohibited. No sprinkler system shall be permitted in any hazardous chemical room or in any hazardous chemical storage building, where the chemical has the ability to react with water to produce substances or violent chemical reactions which increase the hazard. When the presence of water will not add to the hazard, a standard sprinkler system shall be required in such hazardous chemical room or building.

   Fume or Flammable Compressed Gas. No sprinkler system shall be required for any fume or flammable compressed gas building of Type IA, IB or IC construction, nor for any room intended for the storage and use of chlorine gas for no purpose other than the operation of a water purification plant or refrigerating unit, nor for any unit of noncombustible construction used exclusively for the production of manufactured gas.

   Highly Flammable Material Storage. Every fire area containing any highly flammable material storage room shall be equipped throughout the story containing such room and throughout every higher story with a standard system of automatic sprinklers; provided, however, that if such room is designed, erected, altered or converted for the purposes of storing in baled condition only, not more than 5,000 pounds of any highly flammable material as described under Section 15-28-410, then such a sprinkler system shall be required in such room only.

   Nitrocellulose Products Rooms.

      (1)   General. Every fire area containing a nitrocellulose products room shall be equipped throughout the story containing such room and throughout every higher story, with a standard system of automatic sprinklers.

      (2)   Film Examining and Repair Rooms. Every room intended for the examination or repair of motion picture films shall be provided with not less than one automatic sprinkler head for 64 square feet of ceiling area, so spaced that the maximum distance between the adjacent heads and branch lines shall not exceed eight feet. Where nitrocellulose products are stored on shelves, there shall be one sprinkler head directly over the aisle in front of each section of shelving.

      (3)   Receiving, Shipping and Distributing Rooms. Every receiving, shipping or distributing room for nitrocellulose products shall be provided with not less than one automatic sprinkler head for each 64 feet of ceiling area, so spaced that the maximum distance between adjacent heads and branch lines shall not exceed eight feet.

(Prior code § 64-4; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 112)

15-16-041 Telephone exchanges.

   Fire alarm systems required in telephone exchanges pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 15-16-110 shall be connected to a central station supervisory service.

(Added Coun. J. 11-2-94, p. 58476)

15-16-050 Highly flammable material storage.

   Automatic sprinkler protection shall be required in every such room as required in Section 15-28-620. Such sprinkler system shall be so designed that the floor area covered by each sprinkler head shall not exceed 100 square feet. If piling of bales or loose highly flammable material exceeds 12 feet, such sprinkler system shall be hydraulically designed to provide a density of .20 to .30 gallons per minute per square foot over the maximum floor area which would be involved.

(Prior code §  64-5)